Aeroflex / Tektronix / CDS 53A-171 Control Card

The Aeroflex/Tektronix/CDS 53A-171 Control Card is a printed circuit board assembly that serves as the hardware executive for the CDSbus 53/63 Series System. It manages system-level commands, controls addressing, and initiates timing signals across the instrument platform. The card provides centralized interrupt handling with vectored priority support and reports interrupt status to the system controller. Built-In Test Equipment (BITE) capabilities enable comprehensive diagnostics of the 53/63 Series System.

Programming occurs via ASCII character transmission from the system controller through the communications card and card cage backplane. A 10-position address select switch (0–9) configures the card’s location within the system, with the “@XY” command format required for initial addressing—X denotes card cage address and Y specifies card position within that cage.

– Technical Specifications

Power Requirements
• Supply voltage: 4.75 VDC to 5.25 VDC
• Quiescent current: 0.9 A / 0.80 A (maximum)
• Peak current: 0.9 A / 0.85 A
• Power sourced from 53/63 Series Card Cage

Environmental
• Operating temperature: -10°C to +65°C (ambient 55°C, ≤10°C rise with adequate airflow)
• Storage temperature: -40°C to +85°C
• Humidity: <95% RH non-condensing (-10°C to +30°C); <75% RH (-31°C to +40°C); <45% RH (+41°C to +55°C)
• Cooling: Provided by 53A-002 or 63A-012 Card Cage fan

Physical Dimensions
• Card: 197 mm H × 220 mm D × 13 mm W (7.75 in × 8.66 in × 0.5 in)
• Weight: 0.23 kg (0.5 lbs)
• Shipping: 254 mm × 254 mm × 127 mm; 0.64 kg (1.4 lbs)

– Key Features

• Hardware executive functionality for system-level command identification
• Centralized vectored priority interrupt register with system controller reporting
• ASCII-based remote programming interface
• 10-position address selection (0–9)
• Integrated BITE for 53/63 Series diagnostics
• Timing signal generation and control

– Compatibility & Integration

The 53A-171 integrates into the CDSbus 53/63 Series Card Cage backplane and operates with the system communications card. It requires integration with a system controller (calculator or computer) for command and programming functions.